Sharp ties single-season scoring mark

JOPLIN -- Senior Jolee Sharp has matched yet another Fort Scott High School girls basketball record in the Tigers' 50-43 Southeast Kansas League victory over Parsons in the Harold C. Johnson Gymnasium here.

Tuesday night, her free throws with under a minute remaining gave Sharp 390 points for the season, tying her for the FSHS single-season record with Dennie Young, who scored the same number of points in the 1991-92 season. Two weeks ago, Sharp passed Young as the all-time leading girls scorer -- she currently has 1,057 points -- and last Friday at Chanute, she broke the unofficial single-game scoring mark when she scored 34 points.

Sharp had 33 points Tuesday night, making her the first known girl to score 30 or more points in a game three times for the Tigers.

There was a bit of time, however, when host Parsons threatened to steal the show.

The Vikings (4-9 SEK, 5-12 overall) led twice in the first period. But Jenna Campbell's 2-point basket and Sharp's 3-pointer gave the Tigers (11-3, 12-6) a 10-8 lead going into the second period.

The Vikings opened the second with a 10-2 run, going up 18-12 with 1:26 left in the half.

Sharp then scored 7 straight points -- two 2-pointers and a three -- to put Fort Scott up 19-18 with 10 seconds to go. Marlee Cares hit a long 3-point shot at the buzzer to put Parsons ahead by 2 at the break.

Fort Scott hit its first 4 shots from the field in the second half, going on an 8-1 run to take the lead for good, 27-22.

Jenna Harper's 3-point play extended the Tiger lead to 36-27 after three periods.

Parsons got within 5 points, 43-38, with under two minutes to go. But the Tigers made 7 of 8 free throws in the final 1:34 to keep the Vikes at bay.

Erin Forbes led Parsons with 10 points. Cares had 9 at halftime but did not score in the second half.

The Tigers host Iola Friday night at 6 p.m. in the FSHS gymnasium for another SEK game. The Fillies were idle Tuesday night.

NOTES -- The Tigers' hopes for at least a share of the SEK title got a boost when Independence beat leader Labette County, 45-43, on a pair of Sandi Wilson free throws with no time left. LCHS (11-2, 13-4) is now only a half-game ahead of the Tigers. The Grizzlies host Columbus Friday night....

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FORT SCOTT: Sharp 12 7-8 33, Therwhanger 0 0-0 0, Carpenter 0 1-2 1, Tourtillott 0 0-0 0, Shelton 1 1-2 3, Harper 2 1-1 5, Allen 1 0-0 2, McDermed 1 2-2 4, Campbell 1 0-0 2, Karleskint 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 18-41 12-15 50.

PARSONS: Cares 4 0-0 9, Forbes 4 1-2 10, Getz 0 0-0 0, T.Kemp 2 2-2 6, S.Kemp 3 0-0 7, Mosier 2 1-3 5, Woodworth 2 2-2 6. TOTALS: 17-41 6-9 43.

Three-point field goals: Fort Scott 2-5 (Sharp 2), Parsons 3-5 (Cares, Forbes, S.Kemp).

Total fouls: Fort Scott 10, Parsons 13. Fouled out: None. Technical fouls: None.

Rebounds: Fort Scott 25, Parsons 25. Assists: n/a. Turnovers: Fort Scott 8, Parsons 12. Steals: Fort Scott 8, Parsons 5. Blocked shots: n/a.